Virtua Recognized for Quality Patient Care

Virtua President and CEO Richard P. Miller (pictured, center) accepted an award from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (BCBSNJ) for Quality Patient Care based on high value scores Virtua earned in a Leapfrog Hospital survey. The award recognizes and rewards hospitals for quality outcomes and efficient care.

The award is part of the Horizon Hospital Recognition Program (HHRP). Horizon BCBSNJ offers this program for hospitals that voluntarily participate in the Leap Frog Survey. Horizon BCBSNJ offers cash incentives based on the hospital’s Leapfrog value score. Not all states have an insurance company or other business that will fund the “reward” portion of the Leapfrog Rewards Program. Virtua is a grateful recipient of Horizon BCBSNJ’s willingness to fund this program and this award goes directly into Virtua’s reimbursement rates from Horizon BCBSNJ.

All of Virtua’s hospitals were awarded an “A” in the Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Scores. In addition, Virtua’s Voorhees hospital was named to the Leapfrog Group annual list of Top Hospitals in the U.S. The Voorhees hospital is the only full-service, non-specialty hospital in the region to achieve this distinction and one of only 94 Top Hospitals recognized nationally.

“We are extremely honored that Leapfrog and Horizon have recognized the hard work and achievements of all Virtua employees in the area of patient care,” said Miller. “The health and well-being of the people we serve is Virtua’s top priority. Our rigorous standards for clinical quality and safety help ensure that our patients receive outstanding patient care.”

Miller went on to say that “no matter where a patient enters at Virtua, he or she will get the same level of care, because we apply the same processes and have the same structures in place at all of our facilities.”

Horizon BCBSNJ has been funding the program for a number of years, and it recognizes and rewards hospitals with good performance in the areas of patient safety, clinical outcomes, quality and efficiency. Only New Jersey hospitals participating in the Horizon Hospital Network are eligible for the HHRP.

About The Leapfrog Group
The Hospital Safety Score (www.hospitalsafetyscore.org) is an initiative of The Leapfrog Group (www.leapfroggroup.org), a national nonprofit organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of health care to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality and affordability of health care for Americans. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey allows purchasers to structure their contracts and purchasing to reward the highest performing hospitals. The Leapfrog Group was founded in November 2000 with support from the Business Roundtable and national funders and is now independently operated with support from its purchaser and other members.